Chapter Eleven

S aying no to Ellie had never been one of his strengths. In fact, Wes was nothing but a Yes Man when it came to her. Of course, as long as she wasn’t hurt in the process. But as much as he wanted to climb into that tub of warm water with her, he knew it was too soon. The last thing he wanted to do was hinder her recovery. Especially now that he was seeing progress.

Clenching his jaw, on the verge of losing control, he watched her unfasten her bra. The straps slid down her arms and it dropped to the floor. Then she slid her panties off and looked up at him through her fringe of lashes.

“Are you joining me?”

Swallowing hard, trying to ignore his rock-hard cock which was ready to jump in and have some rub-a-dub-dub in the tub, Wes didn’t answer, just reached a hand out and helped her step into the bathtub. Ellie sank down, the bubbles barely covering her rosy-tipped nipples, and Wes stifled a groan. Fuck. He wanted her so badly, he felt like he was going to lose his damn mind.

Lowering himself down into the chair beside the tub, easing the pressure off his limb, he grabbed a washcloth and soaped it up. Ellie looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to finish getting undressed and join her. “Not yet, Ellie,” he murmured.

“Why not?” she asked with a little frown.

“Because I’m going to take care of you instead.” Her lips parted in an “O” and she watched closely as he dragged the soapy washcloth over her shoulders. “Lean forward.”

She did as he said and he washed her back. Then he washed her front, plunging the cloth beneath the suds and over her breasts. She sank back, laying her head against the tub’s rim, and it wasn’t long before he lost the washcloth and began caressing her breasts. Squeezing the fleshy mounds, massaging and lightly pinching her nipples until she was arching into his hand and making a sexy humming noise in the back of her throat.

Fuck. He pressed his palm over his cock, willing it to go down. No chance of that, though. His dick loved Ellie. Loved the tight, wet heat of her pussy. Loved plunging deep and feeling the way her inner muscles rippled and clenched around him. Squeezing and milking him into a powerful orgasm.

He released her breast, running his fingers down over the soft curve of her stomach. She was forty-six and fucking perfection in every way. Her legs dropped open, inviting him to continue his exploration, and he squeezed her thigh before brushing his fingers through the soft triangle of hair between her legs. Tracing her slit, prodding gently with his index finger, he heard her breathing grow harsher. Hell, so had his.

“I’ve missed touching you. So damn much.” His husky voice echoed around them. He slid a finger inside her and his thumb found her clit, rubbing it just the way he knew she liked. She made a strangled sound, reached over and grabbed his arm. Her nails dug into his forearm and he smiled.

Plunging a second finger into her slick pussy, he thrust them in and out, keeping steady pressure on her clit. Her hips lifted, causing water to splash over the side. Shifting his position, Wes threaded his fingers through her wet hair, yanked her head back and slammed his mouth down against hers, still working her sweet, pulsating pussy with his other hand. His tongue and fingers fucked her in unison, and Ellie gasped into his mouth.

“That’s right, come for me, my love,” he encouraged her. Her body thrashed as her orgasm swept over her, and Wes bit down on her lip, feeling the vibration of her cries against his mouth as he continued kissing her. Her inner muscles tightened, trying to draw his fingers deeper, and he wished it was his cock inside her instead. But now that he had her back in his arms, he wasn’t going to rush her. No fucking way.

“Ohhh, God…” She was breathing hard and her eyes fluttered open.

His mouth edged up at the slightly dazed look on her face. Their gazes locked and, like always, he could happily get lost in her beautiful, vibrant eyes forever. No one had ever had a hold on him like his Ellie. As far as he was concerned, she could rule his heart, mind and body—do whatever she wanted with them. It all belonged to her, anyway. Always had.

I love you. He wanted to say the words, but he didn’t dare. She was still too fragile, too unsure and lost.

“I wish you’d climb in here with me.” She released her hold on his forearm and her hand headed toward dangerous territory. Her fingers glided over the front of his cargo pants, exploring his massive erection, and it was pure torture. He captured her wrist, lifted it and pressed a kiss against the daisy tattoo, cherishing the strong and steady beat of her pulse against his lips.

His wife was alive. So beautifully, wonderfully, vibrantly alive.

“I’d like that,” he rasped, “but next time.” After releasing her hand, he stood up, grabbed a big, fluffy towel and held it open for her. Ellie grabbed the edge of the tub, pulled herself up and stepped out and into the towel and his embrace.

Wes wrapped her up and pressed a kiss against her head.

“I’m going to take a quick shower. You dry off and get dressed.” She nodded her head against his bare chest. Then she pulled back and looked up at him.

“Can I sleep with you tonight?”

He hesitated then gave in. “You can do whatever you want, Ellie.”

Yeah, he’d never been very good at denying her.

◆◆◆

Once she’d dried off and changed into her pajamas, Ellie walked down the hall to Wes’ room and peeked inside. The sound of the shower came from his bathroom and, though a part of her was tempted to go in there and join him, she hesitated. She didn’t want to disturb his privacy or make him feel vulnerable in any way.

So, instead, she headed to the kitchen and rifled around through his cupboards and fridge, putting some food together. Cheese, salami, crackers, fruit. She also found some chocolate chip cookies and a bottle of wine. Hell, she felt like celebrating. Wes had just given her the only orgasm she could remember and, dear God, he knew exactly how she liked being touched. She hadn’t even been able to get herself off that quickly over the past year and a half. It’s like the man had magic fingers. God only knew what his cock was capable of, she thought as a little shiver swept through her body.

They were definitely making progress. She’d take fragments of memories over nothing any day. Hopefully, the more time she spent with him, the more she’d remember. Putting everything onto a tray, she carried it to Wes’ room, stepping inside just as he hopped out of the bathroom, wearing only a pair of shorts.

Ellie’s gaze dipped and she saw he’d removed his prosthetic. Empathy swelled within her, but she didn’t feel sorry for him. No, she was proud of him and how he’d managed to overcome what must’ve been the darkest time of his life. A flash of vulnerability swept over his face and Ellie smiled brightly, hoping to put him at ease.

“I brought us some snacks.”

He nodded, continuing his awkward hop over to the bed, and her heart ached for him. She couldn’t begin to imagine how hard it must’ve been for him to adapt to his injury and she felt bad that she couldn’t remember any of it. Despite wanting to ask him about it, she hesitated. Would he pull away and close off?

He just had his fingers inside you, Ellie. I think you’re allowed to ask him a few personal questions.

They sat down on the bed together and Ellie popped a grape into her mouth, considering how to broach the subject of his leg.

As though reading her mind, Wes said, “You can ask me anything, Ellie. Nothing is off-limits.”

She cleared her throat and shifted on the mattress. “I can’t imagine what you went through after getting shot. Will you tell me more?”

He nodded, stacking salami and cheese on a cracker. “We were in Iraq on a mission when we ran into hostile forces. Three enemy rounds shattered my lower leg. I remember going down, face-planting in the dirt, but didn’t really feel any pain at first. I figured it couldn’t be too bad and managed to crawl behind a truck for cover, all the while firing back at the enemy. That’s when Corey came over and the look on his face…I finally looked down at my leg and it was shredded. Just a mangled mess.”

“ God .”

“Medical did the best they could, but I was losing a lot of blood fast. They ended up calling in a helo and evac’d me. The doctors couldn’t save my lower leg and amputated it at the knee. I was lucky it didn’t get infected or they would’ve had to keep cutting more off.”

Her world grew blurry from the sheen of tears covering her eyes and she did her best to blink them away. Guilt washed over her for making him relive those moments. Then frustration consumed her when she thought of how his world had crashed down all over again after he thought she’d died. “You’re so brave,” she whispered.

“My biggest fear was you’d be turned off or think me less of a man. But you never did. You told me I was your other half and I’d always be beautiful to you.”

Ellie didn’t hesitate, just reached over and laid her hand on his stump. “I’d never think any less of you. If anything, I think more of you.”

He didn’t flinch or pull away at her touch. “I was a fucking mess. You’re the brave one. You swooped in and knocked my head back on straight when all I wanted to do was be depressed and feel sorry for myself.”

“I imagine getting up again was a long, hard journey.”

“It was, especially in the beginning. If you hadn’t been there with me, it probably would’ve turned out differently.” He covered her hand with his and she felt the light scratch of his calluses. “When I needed you most, you stayed by my side.”

“What were you doing back in Indonesia?” she asked softly.

“My team had a mission there. When I found out the pirates we were after were the same bastards who’d attacked your research vessel, I swore I’d avenge you. And I did.”

The image of Wes covered in blood, chasing after her in the jungle, flashed through her mind. But this time, she wasn’t scared. Instead, she’d come to view him as her hero and protector. The man who’d vanquished her demons with a stroke of his sword.

“The others on my team…” She met his steady gaze, preparing herself for what she already knew deep down. “They were killed?”

He nodded. A chill ran through her. How had she escaped when everyone else perished?

Though most of her mind remained foggy, one thing was becoming clear—Wes had never given up on her. Ellie was beginning to understand why she had married this amazing man. Wes was brave, patient, kind and sexy as hell. How had she gotten so lucky?

She released a shaky breath, wishing like hell she could force her memories to return. He easily picked up on her frustration, turned his hand over and squeezed. “You were there for me and now I’m here for you. It’s going to be okay.”

“It’s so frustrating, only being able to recall fragments.”

“We’ll get through it together,” he promised.

The determination in his voice touched her on a soul-deep level. “Do you think going back to Michigan would help? I’d love to see my family.” Even though she didn’t remember them, their conversation told her everything she needed to know—they loved her and had missed her terribly.

“I think that’s a great idea. Let me text Brand right now and see when they want us to leave.”

While Wes messaged Brandon, Ellie contemplated the best way to move forward. Immersing herself in her old life was a good step. She had a feeling going back to visit all their old Midwest haunts would be good for her. Hopefully it would stir something deep and unlock her memories.

Brand responded right away and Wes checked his screen. “Brand says go. I can get us tickets to Detroit right now and we’ll leave first thing in the morning. How’s that sound?”

A smile tugged at her lips. How is this man real? she wondered. “That sounds wonderful, thank you.”

Her attention dropped to the slim gold chain hanging around his neck. She’d noticed it earlier but hadn’t said anything yet. Reaching out, she pressed a finger to the cursive “E.”

“Was this mine?” she asked softly.

He glanced down where the pad of her finger lightly circled the charm. “Yeah. I insisted on searching your boat after the attack and I found it. You always wore it.”

Ellie watched him reach around and unclasp the necklace.

“C’mere,” he beckoned. She moved closer and lifted her damp hair out of the way while Wes fastened the chain around her neck.

“Thank you.” She laid a hand against it, savoring how warm it felt from being against Wes’ skin. “Why don’t you look for plane tickets and I’ll call my mom?”

He nodded and less than half an hour later, they’d spoken to her family and bought the tickets. She was looking forward to their trip, but right now she stretched out on her side and studied Wes. “I want my memories back. Tell me everything.”

“Everything?” He laughed. “That would take years.”

“Then you better get going,” she teased, propping her chin in her hand. “I want to know it all. From the first conversation we had to our first date—where we went, what we talked about. I want to remember our love story, Wes. I want that so badly.”

Pure, unadulterated love flashed in his soft, brown eyes. “I want that, too.”

“So, you saw me at the freshman mixer and knew you had to meet me,” she teased, batting her lashes. “I must’ve liked you if we went out. Where did we go?”

“The next night, I wanted to impress you, so I took you to some fancy restaurant. I planned to pull out all the stops and make you fall head over heels for me.”

“Did it work?”

“It was a disaster,” he admitted with a wry grin.

“Oh, no! What happened?”

“Everything that could’ve gone wrong did.” Wes arranged the pile of pillows behind him and leaned back. “First off, the restaurant lost our reservation and it was packed with over an hour wait. It was September, but humid as hell, so I suggested we find somewhere else to eat instead of standing outside.”

Ellie settled in, getting comfortable. “I have a feeling this is going to be a good story.”

“We can laugh about it now. But, then?” He rolled his eyes. “What a mess. Every restaurant was crazy busy, so we ended up grabbing a greasy pizza from this place near campus. They accidentally put mushrooms on it instead of olives.”

Ellie screwed up her nose. “I might not remember much, but mushrooms? Yuck!”

He grinned. “Yeah, same. So we picked them all off and ate it, anyway. Then we went for a walk and got ice cream cones.”

“What flavor ice cream?” she asked, wanting to absorb every single detail.

“You got your favorite—mint chocolate chip. And I got peanut butter chocolate. Halfway down the block, they were melting so fast, it was comical. We had to keep licking and ended up making a mess.”

Ellie chuckled. “Then what happened?”

“A lightning storm from the humidity came out of nowhere and it started pouring. We’d been wandering aimlessly and talking, so we made a mad dash for my car, but it was too late. By the time we reached it, we were soaked. There was no point in getting in, so I just grabbed you and kissed you right there in the middle of the storm.”

“Our first kiss,” she murmured. “That sounds so romantic.”

“The moment I had you in my arms and our lips touched, I knew my life would never be the same. That kiss told me everything—that you were going to be mine and we were going to spend the rest of our lives together.”

God, she wished she could remember. “That must’ve been some kiss,” she murmured, smiling.

“Yeah, it was,” Wes said. “We always joked that lightning struck our hearts that night.”

Emotion swelled inside of Ellie. “And after the kiss?” she asked softly.

“We got in my car and it wouldn’t start.”

She burst out laughing. “Why am I not surprised?”

“The battery had died.”

“So we walked home?”

“Eventually.” He sent her a devilish smirk. “We decided to wait the storm out and, uh, climbed into the back seat.”

“Oh!” Her cheeks grew warm. “We didn’t, um…”

“Have sex? No, not yet. But we did get to know each other much, much better.” He was grinning like a fool now and Ellie was pretty sure she didn’t need to ask what they’d done in the back seat. Clearly, it had been enough to realize their compatibility and chemistry were strong.

“I have to say I’m a bit relieved to hear I didn’t give it up on the first date.”

Wes chuckled. “No. You waited until the second.”

“What?” she screeched.

“Just kidding. We waited until your birthday.”

“October 2,” she blurted out.

Surprise filled Wes’ face and he sat up straight. “You remember!”

“I-I don’t know where that date even came from. I just knew. You had mentioned October, but you never said the exact date, right?” Her eyes grew wide and she bit her lip. Excitement flooded her and Wes grabbed her hand.

“I never mentioned the date. See. It’s all going to come back, Ellie. I know it.”

God, she hoped so. They talked well into the night and then Ellie curled up against her husband’s side, hand on his chest, and fell into the most peaceful sleep she’d ever had. At least that she could recall.